Apparatus for Putting a Glove on a Palm Hand

ABSTRACT

A gloving apparatus that has a glove-opening device and a glove-lifting-and-positioning device. The glove-lifting-and-positioning device includes a linear actuator with a moveable rod that is ended with an inserting pin, a rotating actuator that is designed to rotate the glove-lifting-and-positioning device, and a lifting arm with a lifting actuator that are designed to lift up and lower down the glove-lifting-and-positioning device. The glove-lifting-and-positioning device is designed to insert the inserting pin into a matching hole at a glove holder to which a glove is attached and to insert the opening of the glove over grasping pins of the glove-opening device. The glove-opening device can stretch open the glove opening and when an air pump creates sub-pressure then the glove inflates to a size suitable for a hand to be inserted.

TECHNICAL FIELD

The present invention refers to a gloving apparatus for putting a sterile glove on a palm hand.

BACKGROUND ART

It is customary and sometimes necessary to use sterile gloves in operating theaters to perform medical surgeries, laboratories, and in various other places in which a sterile environment must be maintained. The user, for instance a surgeon preparing for surgery, usually scrubs and disinfects his or her hands with soap and a disinfectant and then puts on a pair of sterile gloves. While putting the gloves on his or her hands, the user touches the gloves, potentially contaminating the exterior of the glove. Touching the exterior of the gloves, even after scrubbing and disinfecting, may contaminate them with bacteria. The present invention describes a system that offers a solution to this problem.

LIST OF DRAWINGS

The intention of the drawings attached to the application is not to limit the scope of the invention and its application. The drawings are intended only to illustrate the invention and they constitute only one of its many possible implementations.

FIG. 1 presents a glove (100) with its opening (103) and the circumferential part (104) of the opening (103).

FIGS. 2 and 3 depict the gloving apparatus (1) that includes the casing (2), the glove-opening device (3), the glove-lifting-and-positioning device (4), the air pump (5), and the replaceable glove cartridge (7).

FIGS. 4 and 5 depict the glove-lifting-and-positioning device (4) when the moveable rod (411) is facing downwards on the way to collect a glove from the replaceable cartridge (7).

FIGS. 6 and 7 depict the glove-lifting-and-positioning device (4) when the inserting pin is inserted in the matching hole of the glove holder.

FIGS. 8 and 9 depict the glove-lifting-and-positioning device (4) in diagonal state and that holds a glove on the way to wear the glove on the glove-opening device (3).

FIGS. 10 and 11 depict the glove-lifting-and-positioning device (4) in horizontal state and that holds a glove and wears the glove on the glove-opening device (3).

FIGS. 12 and 13 depict the glove-lifting-and-positioning device (4) that wears the glove on the glove-opening device (3).

FIG. 14 depicts the glove (100) when inserted on the grasping pins and inflated and ready to receive the user's hand.

FIG. 15 depicts the glove-lifting-and-positioning device (4) when the movable rod (411) is in “up” position.

FIG. 16 depicts the glove-lifting-and-positioning device (4) when the movable rod (411) is in “down” position.

FIGS. 17 and 18 depict the glove-lifting-and-positioning device (4) in diagonal position.

FIG. 19 depicts the adjustment piece (48) in two states relative to the moveable rod (411).

FIGS. 20 and 21 depict the inserting pin (42) when inserted in the glove holder.

FIGS. 22 and 23 depict the inserting pin (42) before and after being inserted into the glove holder (6).

FIGS. 24A-24E depict several states of the moveable rod (411) and the glove holder (6).

FIG. 25 depicts the glove holder (6).

FIG. 26 depicts the glove holder (6) with a glove (100).

FIGS. 27 and 28 depict the glove-opening device (3) wherein the grasping pins (36) are concentrated in the center of the polygonal circumferential frame (31).

FIG. 29 depicts the glove-opening device (3) in partially opened position.

FIG. 30 depicts the glove-opening device (3) in an open position.

FIGS. 31-33 depict the adjuster (8) in several states.

FIG. 34 is a partial cross section view of the replaceable cartridge (7) with the follower (92) and the spring (93).

FIG. 35 depicts an empty replaceable cartridge (7).

FIG. 36 is a top view of the replaceable cartridge (7).

FIG. 37 is a top frame of the cartridge that includes the stoppers (75).

THE INVENTION

The main objective of the present invention is to provide a gloving apparatus (1) that is designed to help users to put gloves on their hands. The gloving apparatus (1) comprises the following main parts: a casing (2), a glove-opening device (3), a glove-lifting-and-positioning device (4), and an air pump (5).

The gloving apparatus (1) may contain a replaceable glove cartridge (7) that is designed to contain gloves (100). The gloves may be placed in the replaceable glove cartridge, one on top of the other. The replaceable glove cartridge may be a fixed as permanent part of the gloving apparatus that is refilled whenever the gloves run out, or alternatively, the entire replaceable cartridge may be replaced with a new replaceable glove cartridge, thus serving as a kind of disposable glove cartridge. In cases in which the sterility of the gloves must be maintained, the disposable, replaceable glove cartridge setup is more appropriate and recommended.

The glove-lifting-and-positioning device (4) is designed to lift a glove, possible from a replaceable glove cartridge, one glove at a time, and to position the glove opening (103) over the glove-opening device (3).

The gloving apparatus (1), as depicted in the drawings and as explained above, includes the casing (2), the glove-lifting-and-positioning device (4), the glove-opening device (3), and the air pump (5). The casing (2) is partially depicted in the drawings and it contains the above-mentioned parts of the gloving apparatus (1). The casing (2) may also contain the replaceable glove cartridge (7).

The glove-lifting-and-positioning device (4) includes:

(a) A base (43) with a linear actuator (41) that is equipped with a moveable rod (411). When operating the linear actuator the moveable rod is designed to move forth and back. (b) A rotating actuator (44) that is designed to rotate the glove-lifting-and-positioning device (4). By operating the rotating actuator it is possible to rotate the glove-lifting-and-positioning device and to change the direction to which the moveable rod is facing. (c) A lifting arm (45) with a lifting actuator (46) that is designed to lift up and lower down the glove-lifting-and-positioning device (4). The drawings depict for example two lifting arms. By controlling the lifting actuator the position of the glove-lifting-and-positioning device is changed. (d) The base also includes releasing rods (47). The moveable rod (411) is ended with an inserting pin (42) and the moveable rod (411) includes an adjustment piece (48) with adjustment rods (49).

The glove-lifting-and-positioning device (4) is designed to descend and reaches a glove holder (6) to which a glove (100) is attached and then to “pick up” the glove by the movable rod (411) due to the fact that the inserting pin (42) penetrated into a matching hole (61) in the glove holder (6) and locked it to the movable rod. At this stage the glove-lifting-and-positioning device (4) lifts the glove upward and forwards and presents the glove to the glove-opening device. Some explanations about the gloves: The gloving apparatus (1) may include the replaceable glove cartridge (7) that includes several gloves (100). Each glove (100) is attached to a glove holder (6). The glove holder may be made of a flexible plastic that include several holding rods (62) that each of them is ended with a holding clip (63) to which the circumferential part (104) of the opening (103) of the glove (100) is attached and a matching hole (61) that match to the inserting pin (42) of the glove-lifting-and-positioning device (4). In this way, the inserting pin (42) is inserted into the matching hole (61), lock the glove holder (6) to it and take the glove holder with the glove to the glove-opening device (3). In order to center the inserting pin (42) directly to the matching hole (61) the movable rod (411) includes the adjustment piece (48) with the adjustment rods (49) that centering the inserting pin (42) straight to the matching hole (61) by embracing and surrounding the glove holder (6).

When the opening of the glove is inserted over the grasping pins (36) while they are in a closed position and these grasping pins (36) move to an open position then the glove is disconnected from the glove holder (6). At this stage, the glove-lifting-and-positioning device (4) is move back to bring another glove on demand. The glove-lifting-and-positioning device (4) get rid from the glove holder (6), which is now without a glove, by pulling back the movable rod (411) so that the glove holder (6) clashes with the releasing rods (47) that are connected to the base (43) causing the glove holder (6) to exit the inserting pin (42) and to fall down preferably to a trash can.

The drawings illustrate the glove-opening device (3) with a six-sided frame, although the invention may be implemented with a frame with more or less sides. The outer end (33) of each spreading rod (32) is attached to the polygonal circumferential frame (31) via an axial joint (34). The inner end (35) of each spreading rod (32) is equipped with a grasping pin (36). The glove-opening device (3) also includes a mechanism that changes the joint angle between the spreading rods (32) and the polygonal circumferential frame (31). The gloving apparatus (1) may include an adjuster (8) that covers the hole inside the polygonal circumferential frame (31) and that is designed to be closed when the apparatus (1) is not in used, and vice versa.

Method of operation of the gloving apparatus (1): The glove-lifting-and-positioning device (4) descends and picks up a glove (100) as described above. The glove-lifting-and-positioning device (4) then brings the opening of the glove over the grasping pins (36). Then the glove-opening device (3) goes from closed to open position, in other words, to a position in which the glove opening is stretched into the shape of the polygonal circumferential frame, and the glove, in fact, is sealing the opening of the glove-opening device. The air pump (5) then creates sub-pressure within the casing (2), causing the glove to inflate. The user can now insert his or her hand into the inflated glove which, as a result of its slight inward motion, is released from the grasping pins, remaining on the user's hand A sensor that identifies full insertion of the hand into the glove or a pressing or touching switch may control the release of the glove from the grasping pins. In addition, the gloving apparatus is equipped with several activators that activate each of the above mentioned apparatus parts, as well as sensors that enable it to operate automatically.

FIG. 1 presents a glove (100) with its opening (103) and the circumferential part (104) of the opening (103). FIGS. 2 and 3 depict the gloving apparatus (1) that includes the casing (2), the glove-opening device (3), the glove-lifting-and-positioning device (4), the air pump (5), and the replaceable glove cartridge (7). FIGS. 4 and 5 depict the glove-lifting-and-positioning device (4) when the moveable rod (411) is facing downwards on the way to collect a glove from the replaceable cartridge (7). FIGS. 6 and 7 depict the glove-lifting-and-positioning device (4) when the inserting pin is inserted in the matching hole of the glove holder. FIGS. 8 and 9 depict the glove-lifting-and-positioning device (4) in diagonal state and that holds a glove on the way to wear the glove on the glove-opening device (3). FIGS. 10 and 11 depict the glove-lifting-and-positioning device (4) in horizontal state and that holds a glove and wears the glove on the glove-opening device (3). FIGS. 12 and 13 depict the glove-lifting-and-positioning device (4) that wears the glove on the glove-opening device (3).

FIG. 14 depicts the glove (100) when inserted on the grasping pins and inflated and ready to receive the user's hand FIG. 15 depicts the glove-lifting-and-positioning device (4) when the movable rod (411) is in “up” position and FIG. 16 depicts the glove-lifting-and-positioning device (4) when the movable rod (411) is in “down” position. FIGS. 17 and 18 depict the glove-lifting-and-positioning device (4) in diagonal position. FIG. 19 depicts the adjustment piece (48) in two states relative to the moveable rod (411). FIGS. 20 and 21 depict the inserting pin (42) when being inserted into the glove holder (6). FIGS. 22 and 23 depict the inserting pin (42) before and after being inserted into the glove holder (6). FIGS. 24A-24E depict several states of the moveable rod (411) and the glove holder (6). FIG. 25 depicts the glove holder (6). FIG. 26 depicts the glove holder (6) with a glove (100).

FIGS. 27 and 28 depict the glove-opening device (3) wherein the grasping pins (36) are concentrated in the center of the polygonal circumferential frame (31), i.e. in a closed position. FIG. 29 depicts the glove-opening device (3) in partially opened position, i.e. the spreading rods (32) are rotated slightly so that their inner ends (35) are closer to the sides of the polygonal circumferential frame (31). FIG. 30 depicts the glove-opening device (3) in an open position, i.e. when the spreading rods (32) are parallel and adjacent to the sides of the polygonal circumferential frame (31) and the grasping pins (36) are positioned in the angles between said sides of the polygonal circumferential frame. FIGS. 31-33 depict the adjuster (8) in several states.

The replaceable cartridge (7) and the glove holder (6) of the gloving apparatus (1) are described in the drawings and explained above, and hereinafter we will describe them with more details. It is preferably that the gloving apparatus (1) will includes a replaceable cartridge (7) of gloves (100) and it is even more preferably that the gloving apparatus will includes several replaceable cartridges (7), as explained hereinafter.

The gloving apparatus (1) includes a cartridge mechanism (90) that includes a cartridge housing (91), a follower (92) and a spring (93). The follower (92) may include a pushing rod (921) that equipped with a pushing plate (922) in its upper end and with a pulling plate (923) in its bottom end, as depicted for example in FIG. 34 . One end of the spring (93), preferably a type of constant-force spring, is attached to the bottom of the cartridge housing (91) and the other end of the spring is attached to the pulling plate (923), in such a way that the spring exerts pressure on the follower (92) to move upward through the cartridge housing and push up the holders (6) with the gloves (100), resembling the manner as a rifle cartridge/magazine works.

The cartridge mechanism (90) may include several cartridge housings (91) and with relevant parts such as the followers and the springs, and an activator that rotates the cartridge mechanism for aligning the relevant replaceable cartridge with the inserting pin (42). FIGS. 2 and 3 depict the gloving apparatus with the cartridge mechanism (90) that is designed to contain several replaceable cartridges (7).

The user can insert into each cartridge housing (91) a replaceable cartridge (7) through the upper opening of the cartridge housing and by that to push and press down the follower (92), and then to lock the replaceable cartridge to the housing. The spring (93) which is now in a tense state activates upward power on the follower (92) as explained above. Whenever a glove holder (6) is pulled out of the cartridge (7), the follower (92) raises slightly upward, the same as a rifle cartridge operation principle. When that replaceable cartridge is run out then the cartridge mechanism rotates a bit and aligns another cartridge to the inserting pin and when all the cartridges run out the user can replace them all.

The replaceable glove cartridge (7) is designed to contain several glove holders (6), one on top of the other, while a glove (100) is attached to each one of them. The replaceable cartridge (7) comprises a closed peripheral wall (71) with an upper opening (72) through which the glove holders (6) can be pulled out from the replaceable cartridge and a lower opening (73) through which the follower (92) can penetrate and push upwards the glove holders (6).

The replaceable cartridge (7) includes at least three inner corners (74) that serve as a guide for the glove holders (6) when they are inside the cartridge. In this way, the gloves holders (6) are positioned inside the cartridge in a way that the end of each holding rod (62) is positioned in each inner corner (74), so, when the glove holder includes three legs, means three holding rods then the cartridge should include at least three inner corners, and so forth.

Along two or more of the inner corners (74), or all of them, there is a stopper (75) that is deigned to stop the upward movement of the glove holders (6). The stoppers (75) may be corresponds with the end (64) of the holding rod (62). For example, the stopper (75) may comprises two horizontal protrusions (751) with a gap (752) between them that correspond with the end (64) of the holding rod (62) that comprises two horizontal pieces (641) with a vertical piece (642) between them. In this way, the two horizontal protrusions (751) of the stopper (75) prevent the two horizontal pieces (641) from moving upward while the vertical piece (642) of the glove holder (6) is positioned inside the gap (752) and by that the upper glove holder (6) in the cartridge is located properly in the place to meet the inserting pin (42). The glove holder (6) may be made of a flexible material so that when the inserting pin (42) penetrates through the matching hole (61) of the glove holder (6), locks it and pulls it up, the holding rods (62) bend and the glove holder is able to be pulled out from the cartridge. FIG. 35 depicts an empty cartridge (7), FIG. 4 depicts it with glove holders (6), FIG. 36 is a top view of the cartridge (7) and FIG. 37 is a top frame of the cartridge that includes the stoppers (75).

As explained above and will explained hereinafter the glove holder (6) comprises a base (60) and at least three holding rods (62). The base (60) comprises a matching hole (61) with several horizontal slots (611) that match with the inserting pin (42). The inserting pin (42) comprises a rounded mushroom tip (421) and a polygonal stem (422). The rounded mushroom tip (421) enables the inserting pin (42) to easily penetrate through the matching hole (61) and to prevent it to be pulled out easily. It is possible to design the base in a way that the area (612) around the matching hole and between the will inclines towards the hole to allow easier penetration of the inserting pin and to prevent the pin to exit easily from the hole. The polygonal stem (422) is positions inside the matching hole (61) while surrounding by the ends of the horizontal slots (611) that prevents a rotary movement of the glove holder (6) around the inserting pin (42). The end (64) of each one of the at least three holding rods (62) comprises a holding clip (63) to which the circumferential part (104) of the opening (103) of the glove (100) is attached, and two horizontal pieces (641) with a vertical piece (642) between them. When the glove holders (6) are positioned inside the cartridge, one on top of the other, then the vertical piece (642) of each glove holder is situated between the two horizontal pieces (641) of the glove holder above it, and by that the glove holders are arranged in a stable and orderly manner one on top of the other inside the cartridge. 

What is claimed is:
 1. A gloving apparatus that comprises a casing, a glove-opening device, a glove-lifting-and-positioning device, and an air pump; wherein the glove-lifting-and-positioning device includes a base with a linear actuator that is equipped with a moveable rod, a rotating actuator that is designed to rotate the glove-lifting-and-positioning device, and a lifting arm with a lifting actuator that are designed to lift up and lower down the glove-lifting-and-positioning device; wherein said base includes a releasing rods; wherein said moveable rod is ended with an inserting pin; wherein the glove-opening device comprises a polygonal circumferential frame and several spreading rods; wherein an outer end of each spreading rod is attached to the polygonal circumferential frame via an axial joint; and wherein an inner end of each spreading rod is equipped with a grasping pin; wherein the glove-lifting-and-positioning device is designed to move up and down and back and forth and to insert the inserting pin into a matching hole at a glove holder to which a glove can be attached and to lift the glove holder with the glove and insert an opening of the glove over said grasping pins; wherein the glove-opening device can move from closed position to open position, causing the glove opening to stretch open and assume the shape of the polygonal circumferential frame; wherein the air pump can create sub-pressure in the casing, causing the glove to inflate to a size and shape suitable for a hand to be inserted into the inflated glove.
 2. A glove holder that comprises a base that includes a matching hole that is designed to correspond with an inserting pin with a rounded mushroom tip, and at least three holding rods, wherein an end of each holding rod includes a holding clip to which a circumferential part of an opening of a glove can be attached.
 3. The glove holder according to claim 2, wherein said base further includes several horizontal slots that are designed to correspond with a polygonal stem of said inserting pin, and wherein said end of said holding rods further includes two horizontal pieces with a vertical piece between said two horizontal pieces.
 4. A replaceable glove cartridge that is designed to contain glove holders with gloves that comprises a closed peripheral wall and at least two stoppers; wherein said closed peripheral wall includes at least three inner corners that are designed to serve as a guide for the glove holders, an upper opening through which the glove holders can be pulled out, and a lower opening through which a follower can penetrates and pushes upwards the glove holders; wherein the stoppers are situated along at least two of the at least three inner corners and wherein said stoppers are deigned to stop an upward movement of the glove holders when they are pushed upwardly only by the follower; wherein each of said stopper corresponds with an end of a holding rod of each one of said glove holders; wherein each stopper comprises two horizontal protrusions with a gap between them that correspond with the end of the holding rod of the each one of said glove holders that comprises two horizontal pieces with a vertical piece between them. 